POSITIVE THINKING

Positive thinking has to do with being able to control your focus regardless of what kind of challenges you are facing. This can be a tough challenge because when all you see is negativity or poor results, it is a lot easier to think negatively and focus on things like why bad things always happen to you or why you can never seem to achieve your goals. This can be a trap that can destroy your life in terms of preventing you from ever realizing your goals and dreams. In this article, I will discuss the importance of being able to think positively and will also offer you some tips on how you can use this to change your life.

So why is being able to look at things positively important? The main reason is because what you focus on will affect your actions. If you think about how the world is always against you because every time you set a goal you fail to achieve it, will that make you want to continue going for your goals with enthusiasm and passion? Probably not. When you think positively even though things aren't going your way, your mind will work towards finding a solution to make things work. Your actions will be different because your focus will be different.

The problem that many people have is that positive thinking is easier said than done. When you are in the middle of a challenge, it's not always easy to look on the bright side of things. So how do you have positive thoughts when there seems to be no evidence that you will achieve your goals or get pass your challenge? Faith. You have to have faith that you will be better off if you believe in yourself and keep fighting for your dreams. It's not something that everyone can do but it's something that you can develop.

You can start to create a more positive mindset by reading positive thinking books or listening to a positive thinking CD every day. One really great book is, "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman V. Peale. By constantly feeding your mind with positive material, you will get used to seeing the brighter side of things. You can also start to hang around positive and encouraging people as well since their attitudes can help change yours. Just thinking positive isn't enough to change your life though.

The best way is to go beyond positive thinking is to focus on taking action. Get in the habit of taking action even when it's hard. Let's say you failed to reach your financial goals. What do you do now? You take action. Do something about it. It's only when you take action that can you change your situation. Positive thinking is great but sometimes it can be hard to think of the right things but if you take action every time you fail, you will build momentum. The reason why negative thinking will cause you to fail is because it will cause you to not want to do anything.

If you combine positive thinking and the habit of taking action, you will have a much greater chance of achieving your goals. Will thinking positively all the time guarantee success? Of course not, but if you think negatively all the time, that's a guarantee that you will fail.  

Positive Thinking Your Key to Success

Positive thinking brings inner peace, success, improved relationships, better health, happiness and satisfaction. It also helps the daily affairs of life move more smoothly, and makes life look bright and promising.

Positive thinking is contagious. People around you pick your mental moods and are affected accordingly. Think about happiness, good health and success, and you will cause people to like you and desire to help you, because they enjoy the vibrations that a positive mind emits.

In order to make positive thinking yield results, you need to develop a positive attitude toward life, expect a successful outcome of whatever you do, but also take any necessary actions to ensure your success.

Effective positive thinking that brings results is much more than just repeating a few positive words, or telling yourself that everything is going to be all right. It has to be your predominant mental attitude. It is not enough to think positively for a few moments, and then letting fears and lack of belief enter your mind. Some effort and inner work are necessary.

Benefits of positive thinking

Researchers at the famed Mayo Clinic found that learning more positive thinking was associated with tangible health benefits, ranging from greater resistance to colds to lower rates of depression, and from reduced levels of stress to an increased life expectancy.  They believe that these effects may be traced to improved coping skills and healthier lifestyles.  The more positive you feel, the more you take care of yourself.

Positive thinking has been used clinically to help individuals with depression, anxiety and self-esteem problems.  In combination with relaxation therapy, positive thinking can be just what the doctor ordered! 

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess. 

Positive thinking techniques

If you’d like to tackle problems with self-esteem, put positive thinking to work for you.  Follow these simple tips to create a more positive attitude:

• Take care of yourself.  As you begin to follow a healthier lifestyle, you are giving yourself the message that you are worth taking care of.  Even if you’re not sure yet if you believe that, you’ll soon start to feel better physically, and that will help you feel more positive.  Exercise several times a week, eat healthy foods, and learn some relaxation techniques for when you need to take a stress break.
• Surround yourself with positive energy.  Make sure that the people around you are optimistic in their outlooks.  Nothing is more contagious than negativity, so try to banish it in your environment.
• Spot-check your attitude.  Several times a day, take a moment to analyze what you’re thinking.  Are you being positive or negative?  If the latter, try to reframe the situation in more positive terms.  By becoming more self-conscious about your negativity, you’ll learn to curb it.
• Use positive self-talk.  Encourage yourself by giving yourself  positive affirmations; e.g., “I am a self-confident individual who has much to offer.”  Avoid the use of “could-a” and “should-a” messages to yourself. Change what you need to change, and try not to beat yourself up in the process.  Allow a little humor into your talk.  Laughing at yourself and at life does reduce stress.

10 Ways to Think Positively No Matter What

If there’s one thing that’s universal, it’s that every single person in the world is beset by some problem or the other. Just when you think that your issues are unbearable and you can take it no more, you hear stories from other people that are even more heartrending. The thing with problems is that they are always around; if one disappears or is resolved, another is waiting in the wings to take its place. The only way to deal with them is to think positively – there’s nothing that beats the power of positive thinking. But because we’re human and so prone to all faults that are innately human, we have trouble staying free of stress and thinking positively no matter what. It takes conscious effort, but it’s possible to stay positive if you:

1. Count your blessings at the end of every day – don’t focus on the problems you’ve faced that day; rather, think of all the good things that happened and the happiness they gave you.

2. Think of others rather than yourself – when you do things, even the smallest favors, for other people who mean something to you, you feel good about yourself.

3. Be proactive rather than reactive – instead of fretting over a problem and letting it stress you out, focus on how to resolve quickly and effectively. When your mind is busy trying to find a solution, you stop feeling sorry for yourself and start thinking positively.

4. Don’t allow your mind to remain idle – it may be clichéd, but it’s also true that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. So stay busy and keep doing something or the other to prevent negative thoughts from creeping in.

5. Get an hour of exercise every day – even a brisk walk in the morning or evening will do your mental health a world of good. 
6. Allow yourself some “me” time – set aside some time every day or every few days for yourself when you get to choose what you want to do; read a book, listen to music, catch up with friends, or just laze around. When your soul is nourished, you find that positive energy flows.

7. Stop negative thoughts before they form completely – if you find yourself becoming depressed because your mind is taking a negative bent, stop those thoughts in their tracks and start consciously thinking of positive things.

8. Spend time with people who love you and make you feel good about yourself – quality relationships make life worth living.

9. Anytime you feel that the weight of your burden is hard to bear, talk to a friend or someone with a sympathetic ear – even if they cannot do anything to help you out, just the fact that you have someone on your side is uplifting enough.

10. And finally, look around you before you start to feel sorry for yourself – there are people in situations that are a hundred times worse than yours, yet they manage to get through each day.

So tell yourself that you have a good life, count your blessings, and learn to stay positive no matter what.